Bait-holder



P. WALKER. BAIT HOLDER.

(N0 Mo'del.)

No. 600,241. PELtGIFltQd Mar. 8, 1898.

mg noams virgfls co, Pumaumu WASHINGTON. n. c:

UNrTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER WALKER, OF FRIARS POINT, MISSISSIPPI.

BAIT-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,241, dated March 8, 1898.

Application filed June 12, 1897. Serial No. 640,550. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it mag concern.-

Be it known that I, PETER WALKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Friars Point, in the county of Ooahoma and State of Mississippi, have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in Fishing-Bait I-lolders; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in fishing appliances, and it relates more particularly to theprovision of a simple, inexpensive, and efficient device for use in live bait, or small fish which are commonly used as bait, both in trolling and in still fishing.

To these ends and to such others as the invention may pertain the same consists in the peculiar construction of the live-minnowholding clamps and in the novel combination, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, all as more fully hereinafter described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved form of bait-retainer as it appears when attached to a wire connected to a gang of fish-hooks such as are commonly employed in trolling. Fig. 2 is a like view in which the clamps are shown as applied to the shank of an ordinary fislrhook. Fig. 3 is a front view of the same. Fig. 4c is an enlarged view in perspective of the clamping devices.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates a straight piece of wire, which may be an independent piece, having swiveled connection at one of its ends with the ring at the end of a gang of fish-hooks, as shownin Fig. 1 of the drawings, or it may constitute the shank portion of a single fish-hook, as is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

B and C are the bait-clamps, which are adapted to grasp and hold the minnow or other small fish which is used for bait. These clamps B and Care adjustably secured to the wire or fish-hook shank A, so as to permit of their being readily adjusted to conform to the size of the fish used as bait. The clamp B, which I designate the tail-clamp, consists, essentially, of two pivoted jaws of a length corresponding with the width of the larger minnows, which are commonly used as live bait in fishing, the measurement being taken at the base of the tail of the fish, at which point the clamp is to grasp the fish. The said jaws b and b of the clamp B are provided with extensions or arms 6 which extend for a short distance beyond the point at which the clamp is attached to the wire and serve to permit the jaws of the clamp to be opened against the tension of a spiral spring 19 the tension of which spring serves to normally hold the jaws of the clamp closed. The clamp O is in all respects similar to the clamp B, excepting in the shape of the serrated jaws. The direction of the length of the jaws of the said clamp O, which are designed to grasp the minnow or other bait-fish in the direction of the length of the fish, is in the direction of the length of the wire A, to which the clamp is attached, or at right angles to the jaws b and I).

From the foregoing description of construction of the device its operation will be readily understood. The minnow or other small fish which is to be employed as bait in fishing is secured by the clamps B and C, as shown in the drawings. The clamp B grasps the fish at the base of the tail of the fish, while the clamp O is attached to the back of the fish along the line of the back at a point at or adjacent to the longitudinal center of the fish.

It will be at once seen that by the use of my bait-holding attachment the necessity of inn.

paling the bait upon ahook, as has been heretofore a common method of securing the bait, is obviated and the life of the bait-fish is thus prolonged. The bait being held in the manner which I have described will be permitted to move within certain limits, being free to bend the body or wiggle. upon the part of the bait will serve to at tract the fish, and on this account it has been found from practical experiment that much This movement better results are attained in fishing with my improved bait-holding attachment than by the old method of impaling the bait upon hooks;

WVhile the drawings illustrate the clamping devices as attached to the bait in the manner described, it has been found preferable to attach the lower clamp on the hook to the dorsal fin of the fish, so as not to engage with the body, and which would prevent in a measure the movements of the bait, which would attract the fish to the bait. It is also my purpose to construct the shank of the 'hook, to

which the clamps are secured, without eyes, in which the line is attached, but preferably to wind the line to the end of the hook after the clamps have been slipped over the end of the shank portion.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Afishing-bait holder, consisting of a fishhook having in combination with the shank portion thereof, clamping-jaws pivoted together and held to said hook, as set forth.

2. In a fish-bait holder, the combination with the hook, the spring-actuated clampingjaws pivoted to the shank of the hook, as set forth.

I 3. In a device for holding bait, the combination with the hook, the clamp-jaws having teeth. thereon, pivoted to the shank of the said hook, and at right angles thereto, substantially as set forth.

4. In a fishing appliance, the combination with the wire A, the gang-hook secured thereto,of'the independent spring-actuated clamps longitudinally movable on the said wire, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. PETER WALKER.

Witnesses:

J. M. SHARP, GERALD FITZ GERALD. 

